


Spinel's Strange Circumstances

by Peridawesome



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Blood and Injury, F/F, Injury Recovery, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22886890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peridawesome/pseuds/Peridawesome
Summary: A series of odd events, starting with an invitation to a party the second day she arrived in her new town, cause Spinel to go through great changes that make her start to see things in a different way.
Relationships: Pink Diamond's Pearl/Spinel (Steven Universe)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 43





	1. See What Happens

In the suburban town of Sucrose, everybody seemed to know each other, even if they weren't particularly close (both in distance and in friendship). It was just the right size, too, that someone at the far end could drive to the other simply for a casual meeting. These facts combined meant that people here got together for fun and swell events often enough to be noticeable to many.  
  
One person was unaware of this commonality, and that was because they had only moved in one day ago; her name is Suzy "Spinel" Spinelli, coming from a particularly rough town and wanting to get somewhere safe and quiet. She had no real expectations for any pleasantries from her new neighbors- why would anyone be nice to someone without any knowledge of what they might be like?  
  
Thus, the knock of the door gave her some slight confusion. Perhaps the mailman was simply coming by to give her some sort of letter, but her last town didn't have mailmen come straight to you to personally hand-deliver messages. Then again, she didn't recall anyone really being all that friendly there. Putting down her unhealthy beverage and ceasing her compulsory ponytail-brushing, she soon headed to the door to see who was so politely knocking.  
  
Upon opening the door, she'd be greeted by someone who looked to be a little more outgoing than her wearing a snazzy blue jacket who greeted, "Hello, I saw you were new around and decided I should give you a personal invitation to a little party I'm having! If you're not busy, of course."  
  
Spinel felt embarrassed to be met with such a friendly and exciting invitation from someone looking like they put time into looking good just to knock on her door when she currently had the appearance of what she can only describe as a goth Barbie doll. Still, she'd feel rude to not at least give a response, and after ruminating for a brief period of time, she realized she really had nothing going on in general. What'd be the harm in going to a party like this where she's guaranteed to make at least one new friend?  
  
"O-oh, eheh, that sounds good! I-Is this a formal event or...?"  
  
Shaking her head, the woman responded, "Oh no, of course not! Wear whatever makes you comfortable- and my name's Pearl, by the way! Apologies for not starting with that, I guess I got kind of carried away..."  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it. You can call me Spinel!"  
  
The exchange ended with Pearl giving her an address and a time to be there, and this gave her the space needed to prepare herself. Sure, she was told not to worry about being in anything fancy, but she certainly couldn't be seen publicly in her current outfit. So, she sorted through her bags (having forgotten to unpack and place her stuff into her drawers) and found a nice outfit, something brightly colored and cute-looking. It reminded her of something she would wear when she was a little younger and less angsty, although she often reminds herself that there's nothing stopping her from being happy except for herself.  
  
Trying to ignore any lingering fears of social humiliation, she began to drive off toward the location when the time came, soon parking neatly next to the other cars and stepping delicately onto the porch.  
  
The door swung open before she could knock, with a purple-haired girl smiling at her brightly and proclaiming, "Yo Spinel, Pearl told me you were coming, you look snazzier than I expected from what she told me! Name's Amethyst, this is my house and therefore my party, so if you have fun, you know who to thank~"  
  
She could only give a light chuckle in response, feeling a little awkwardness before she even stepped through the door- a combination of both having someone she's never met greet her by name in such a jubilant tone and wondering how exactly Pearl described her appearance to make this outfit seem unlikely for her. Still, the party was yet to get fully started, so she should hold back on overanalyzing until it really mattered.  
  
At first, she just assumed this little event was being thrown completely out of the blue, and she just happened to arrive at the right time. However, she began to realize something odd- everyone seemed to be quite excited to see her as if knowing she specifically would be here. It made her think that maybe this party was thrown as some sort of a celebration of her arrival. This concept would almost seem creepy if it wasn't, well, a very fun-looking party, and these people didn't look like the cultish types.   
  
It wasn't long before Spinel began to feel quite comfortable in this environment, despite not being in the party scene for quite some time. This town certainly must want to leave a good first impression on her, and it definitely was swiftly working! As she grew more and more comfortable to be right at the moment, she started to loosen up, telling jokes and starting conversations she'd usually wait to come to her. Was it all in her imagination, or was she starting to ditch her usual bittersweet personality and shift into her old-school mannerisms? Whatever it was, it was definitely an interesting experience already.  
  
After two-and-a-half drinks of soda, she began to feel quite a buzz. However, it didn't stop the ponytailed girl from letting her eyes land on someone standing far off to the side of the party. She much taller girl was wearing an eyepatch and simply looking into the reflection of whatever drink her red solo cup held, perhaps deep in thought about whether she should be here.   
  
She felt someone nudge her shoulder, and she glanced to her left to see Amethyst standing there and remarking teasingly, "You interested in sweet lil' Viola over there? Don't be shy, she's not gonna bite, heheh!"  
  
"G-Gheheh, y-yeah, I was on my way, j-just give me some space!"  
  
She stumbled away in discomfort from the still snickering girl, who she soon heard get berated by her inviter about how intrusive that was, and soon she found that she was standing a foot away from Viola and she was noticing.  
  
Giving her a curious look, she asked, "A-are you okay?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just got a whole party thrown just for showin' up, talk about participation awards!"  
  
This elicited a laugh for Viola, who assured her through a smile, "I'm sure you've earned this party already. I'm guessing Amethyst already told you who I was, so you wouldn't be surprised to know she told me about you as well. I think she's gone around telling everyone about you, she can be like that sometimes..."  
  
"Heh, like what? A gossip queen? Hey, at least she doesn't hide it!"  
  
Another point was earned for Spinel as she made her laugh once more before explaining, "I-I meant more to say she's a bit nosey, but that isn't far-off. So, what brings you into town?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know who to thank more, the car or the dirt-town I was ditchin'!"  
  
After comedically miming like she was trying to quiet a cheering crowd of joke-loving fans, she'd enjoy the real-life laughter of this one-eyed cute girl, who admitted, "I feel like I made a good choice coming to this party~ U-um, excuse me if this is too forward, but I don't know when we can meet up again, so..."  
  
Soon, she found herself holding a slip of paper containing the girl's number! Did she really earn these digits just from a few silly jokes? Her face felt like it was as warm as an electric blanket, and the giggles coming from Viola's mouth indicated this was not unnoticed but was also not a deal-breaker for her. Certainly, Spinel felt even more confident that this was the right place to be at this moment.  
  
The right of the shindig was a blur but was pretty close to the level of enjoyment the beginning of it carried with the addition of her growing more worn-out as it went on. It wasn't as if she was becoming less happy, not at all; in fact, due to her tiredness making her mind feel less present, it felt like she was only growing peppier.  
  
As she left the party, she found herself receiving some enthusiastic goodbyes- several people gave her some handshakes, others gave hugs, and she remembered that one girl giving her a peck on the cheek before running off a flustered mess. When she got into her car, it was like she was on a high from all the positive feelings running through her.  
  
Certainly, she could say this was the happiest Spinel has felt in quite a while, giving her memories of when she was younger and less aware of the cruelties of the world... and less prone to getting tossed around. And equally so, she felt quite tired, as her body and mind were simply not used to such stimulation. She had to keep herself awake, though- it wasn't as if it was that big of a drive from Amethyst's abode to her own.  
  
The longer she tried to keep her eyes opened and her senses focused on steering, the more her brain tried to fight back and tell her it was time to go to bed. The music on her car's radio, despite being turned up as loud as it could, slowly began to feel like a calming lullaby. Glances to her window showed her other drivers going at a calm speed leaving the same party, but she hardly registered them as being in the same place.   
  
For the briefest moment, her eyes completely shut and she felt her hands touch nothing but air. Suddenly, her eyes went wide open as she felt her gravity change. A scream of panic could be heard from outside her vehicle as she was now going at a high speed down a steep cliff. The brakes didn't seem to be working on such a platform, so it felt like simply a waiting game for if she could slow down once she reached a flat surface.  
  
However, fate would not have things go such a simple way. There was little time to try and slow down by the time she was on this flat surface because of the built-up speed, and Spinel could observe she was now going straight toward a fence bordering a river. Hey, perhaps she'll just crash through the fence and fall into the water, and she can simply-  
  
 **** _KSSSHHHKKK  
  
_ That was the basic sound of her body soaring out of her seat, through her windshield, and onto the grassy ground on the other side of the river. Before she passed out, she heard further screams, and she smiled briefly as she realized who it was.

Her luck just does not stop, does it?


	2. Pleasant Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after her violent exit from that pleasant party, Spinel finds herself in a completely new situation.

In her dreams, she was seeing images of beautiful gardens filled with beautiful flowers, but roses were the ones she saw most of all. And strangely, Spinel saw herself as the gardener, tending to every plant individually with an equal amount of love. However, one flower out of them all seemed to be completely different- completely void of any color. Assuming this flower must be dead, she reached to pull it from the ground so as to not hog any room that could be left for seeds. However, she felt an immense pain from touching it and jumped back quickly. Looking at her hand, Spinel saw a massive gash that looked like it could be very harmful; the next moment, though, a monotone grey color poured from the wound, and she felt it absorbing all of her colors. Images flashed in front of her displaying her garden alternatively completely uprooted and in flames, and she collapsed to the ground in a helpless manner. Perhaps this was a hopeless endeavor...  
  
However, the dark and terrifying environment began to fade as she heard a gentle voice speak to her. She's sure she recognizes it, but in her dreams, it grows harder to pinpoint it.  
  
"It's okay, you're okay..."  
  
It was a voice filled with concern, care, and maybe even love. Simply hearing such a tone warned Spinel's heart in a way she hadn't thought was possible anymore, and as the voice continued to speak, she began to realize this couldn't be part of her dream.  
  
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she squinted to adjust to the light, a bit brighter than what she saw when she first went out.

Inches from her face, the girl from the party who was adorned in an eyepatch positioned herself, gently putting something on her face in a way that stung slightly. Upon realizing Spinel was awake, though, Viola swiftly moved away with her cheeks burning a deep red color (though they couldn't possibly get redder than Spinel's right now).  
  
Confused and unsure of what was happening, she attempted to ask a multitude of questions at once, only for it to come out as a sound indicating general confusion.  
  
Understanding how she was feeling anyway, Viola soon began to explain, "After you crashed your car down by the river, I felt I had to help you. I have a degree in nursing, and I know hospitals are excessive in price, so I chose to take you to my place to give you the attention you needed."  
  
"Excuse me, _your_ place?"  
  
It was another voice that Spinel definitely recognized, and her eyes moved swiftly to the door to see that Pearl- the one who had invited her to last night's event- was standing there with her arms crossed.  
  
Sighing, she replied, "O-okay, _our_ place. I just didn't feel that you being my roommate was the most important part of this story."  
  
"Well, I may not have a degree in nursing, but you certainly can't say _I_ didn't help! My car drove her here, and I assisted in carrying her inside-"  
  
Not wanting to hear Pearl go on too much longer, Viola assured her, "Of course, I appreciate your help, Pearl. Do you think you could grab something for Spinel to eat? She's lost a bit of blood so she needs some sugar."  
  
Soon, the two were left alone, and thus they were free to do as they pleased in private. Of course, that didn't mean much because of Spinel's current state, but it certainly did mean they could speak freely.  
  
"I don't want you to think Pearl isn't a good person just from what you overheard there- she's just very emotional right now, and she has her own way of expressing it. Pearl is a really nice person, and she's been a great friend for a long time, and I hope she can be a great friend to you too!"  
  
Though she gave a weak nod in response, Spinel's thoughts were fixated mainly on one thing: _Viola is single, thank goodness._ She chastised herself for focusing on something so comparatively trivial when she was currently in a bad state, but she was unable to help where her mind was brought.  
  
Her eyes drifted to what was held in Viola's hands (some sort of clean cloth with a shiny substance on it), who swiftly explained, "This is Neosporin, I'm just disinfecting your wounds. I got the glass out and the bleeding's stopped, but I still need to make sure you don't get any infections."  
  
"Mmhmm... s-so, m-my car...?"  
  
Able to figure out where her question was leading, she told her with sympathy, "Your car... wasn't able to be restored. At the speed you were driving, I don't think it really had a chance- not that I blame you, of course, I know you were a bit worn out after the party and you must not have realized how fast you were going!"  
  
"I-It's okay... i-is this your room?"  
  
It was the first full sentence she managed to speak, and Viola was happy to answer this question, almost gushing: "O-oh yes, it is! Pearl insisted on moving you here since she didn't want her own bed to be stained with blood and had worries that you'd roll off the couch and get a concussion, so this seemed like the best idea. I hope it looks nice to you- y-y'know, because you deserve the most comfort possible right now."  
  
Her eyes moved around to examine this room, and she had to admit, it definitely was pleasing to her. The room was filled with an array of soft and happy colors, at least one poster featuring characters from a cartoon she heard plenty of praise about online, and a shelf full of adorable toys. If she could stand up, she'd be moving around to get a look at all of that and more. Glancing down, she also saw that the bed she was in- a soft and comfortable one with some Hello Kitty blankets- had plenty of bloodstains on it, and she strangely felt bad for that fact.  
  
"T-this uh, this is nice...~"  
  
Taking that to refer to her room, Viola gave a shy blush and responded, "T-thank you, I greatly appreciate that. I would hate for you to feel overstimulated right now, and I've gotten complaints before from certain people about it being particularly bright in here."  
  
"You don't need to sugarcoat it, she's met Amethyst," Pearl commented as she re-entered the scene carrying a box of sweets.

Chuckling nervously, she changed the subject to the treats carried in by her roommate, giving her some sincere thanks before reaching in and grabbing a piece of candy to offer her. Spinel didn't have long to really debate if she wanted to try and grab the candy before Viola chose to take the wrapper off and place it in her mouth, which was quite a new thing for her.  
  
Giving her the most sincere smile in the world, the one-eyed current caretaker told her, "You can tell me if you need anything, okay? I won't be too far. And don't feel bad about using my bed, for the time being, all that matters to me is that you get better. Oh, and I'll come back when breakfast is done, you're probably starving~"  
  
She gave a gentle one-harmed hug to Spinel and soon headed to the door, giving her a sweet wave as she left. Right now, the ponytailed gal had a lot of weird feelings, but one of them in the front of her mind was uncertainty. She was unable to decide whether or not Viola fully recalled the kiss that she gave her before she left in her car, or if she meant for any of their interactions to seem romantic. In her state of weakness, she began to doubt whether it was even possible she could like her like that when she was essentially her patient right now. Hopefully, she could heal fast enough to figure that out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter lives up to the last one!


	3. Pain and Profit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite her poor state, Spinel finds a bright side.

The box of sweets had been left on the bed just close enough to be in her range of reaching, meaning she was able to gobble away to get her energy back up. Eventually, she was getting a reasonable sugar rush that made her feel rejuvenated enough that she could reasonably say she felt nearly as peppy as she did during the best parts of that party. Slowly, Spinel slid herself toward the edge of the bed, placed her feet on the ground, and moved to stand. Upon doing so, she felt an ache that reminded her that she was still not reset back to the state she was in before. She could reasonably trick her mind into thinking she wasn't in pain, but that'd take a proper method of focus.  
  
At a meticulous pace, she soon made her way to the door, leaning against the wall to add some support, before reaching to open it. Her hand still felt sore, being one of the places the glass had managed to pierce, making this a less-than-ideal situation. Still, she was able to get it open so she could try and move her way out the door. It wasn't that she was making any crazy escape attempt- she just felt claustrophobic kept in one room for so long and wanted a bit of socializing. The fact that she was still ruminating over her feelings on Viola definitely helped in that regard.

Viola and Pearl were in the kitchen at the moment, with the latter of the two putting the finishing touches on their blueberry pancakes. Since the room was just across from the hair-bunned girl's room, they were instantly able to see when the injured visitor was making out.  
  
"Oh, are you feeling better already? That's just amazing~!"  
  
Not wanting to disappoint her recent crush, Spinel responded with a still-weak chuckle, "Eheh, y-yeah, a little!"  
  
"Are you kidding? She looks like she's going to fall, there's no way we can let her move around like that!"  
  
Trying to lessen Pearl's concerns, Viola assured her, "She's fine, and she deserves some fresh air! How about you come over and sit down with us for breakfast, and we can get to know each other even better?"  
  
This received an immediate positive answer, and as quickly as she could, she got herself seated. Of course, that meant it took about fifteen seconds to travel about seven feet, which was not a good look for someone trying to appear as recovered as possible to avoid looking at all like she needed any help.  
  
"I don't think we've yet to do discuss when we'll be able to get her back home," Pearl commented as a sort of conversation starter as breakfast was served by her roommate.  
  
Giving a soft smile, Viola replied, "It's because it's a rather simple matter! When she's ready, we can drive her home- no need to rush her recovery! Right, Spinel?"  
  
"Oh, y-yeah, of course! I'm gonna need to take my time!"  
  
What a conundrum- she realized now that if she acted _too_ healed, she'd definitely not be able to reasonably stay here for too much longer! And if she has to go home too soon, how is she going to be able to spend more time with her? But on the other hand, she felt uncontrollable worries about appearing too soft and pathetic. _How could someone who has to be coddled and dragged everywhere ever be girlfriend material?_ Though she didn't wish to be paranoid, this thought did not leave her mind.  
  
Nudging the plate a little closer to her, the eyepatch-adorned girl urged, "Don't be shy, eat up!"  
  
Cheeks a bit red, but still simultaneously wanting to eat and to get her approval, she began to take rapid bites of her pancakes, and she quickly found them to be quite delicious! It made Spinel feel quite thankful that she got to spend this time here- she wasn't skilled enough to make pancakes this good, usually settling for just buying ones from the store and popping them in the toaster.  
  
"So, Spinel, how'd you enjoy the party?"  
  
Trying to respond to Pearl's question as casually as possible while still taking the occasional bite of pancake, she answered, "Oh, it was great! Honestly, I haven't had that much fun in a while, it really made me feel young again. And I especially was glad I got to meet so many amazing people!"  
  
She gave a smile toward Viola, trying to give some kind of a hint, and saw her blush and look away shyly. It seemed like she must've understood the implication within her comment, but how could she interpret that reaction? She knows she should just be happy she got what she was trying to say, but it can be hard for her to not read deeply into things at times.

"Well, I'm very happy to hear that. Oh, that reminds me! What was it you were saying earlier about Spinel, Viola?"  
  
Pearl gave this query with a smirk, clearly just wanting to hear Viola repeat it in front of their guest now that she was fully conscious. The guest herself tried to look casual, but couldn't help but try and listen to what was about to be said. Judging by how she began to blush from hearing that question, Viola must have something revealing to say right?  
  
Stammering a bit awkwardly, she answered, "I-It wasn't anything important, I was just talking about how much I enjoyed meeting her and how she made me really happy, and how worried I was that she was seriously hurt!"  
  
"Mhmm, that's all fine and good. Isn't there something else that happened at the party between you two, though? I'm sure if you don't say anything about it, Spinel could... or any of our dozens of witnesses."  
  
This almost seemed like some kind of interrogation, when it all began as just a casual conversation during breakfast. Spinel seriously wondered if this was a normal thing between the two of them or if the party and her interactions with Viola were what caused it. If that was the case, she had no idea if she should be embarrassed or proud of that.  
  
Face all red, Viola replied, speaking fast to get it out sooner than later, "I-I gave her a kiss before she left because I wanted to show her I liked her, a-and then I ran away because I was afraid of her being offended...!"  
  
Now two out of the three girls sitting at that table had faces reddened in embarrassment, while the third was simply smug that she was able to get such a confession out.  
  
With a smile, Pearl teased, "That wasn't too hard, was it? And here I was worried I'd have to wait an excruciatingly long time to hear you say it!"  
  
"P-Pearl, you jerk, now Spinel's gonna be uncomfortable..."  
  
The two looked at Spinel herself, who wasn't as uncomfortable as one might expect. In fact, she seemed somewhat giddy, which was an interesting thing to observe.  
  
Chuckling a little, she soon admitted, "I-I uh, do find myself liking you a bit...~"  
  
Pearl was feeling quite a bit of happiness to see such a confession occur between two people she found to be rather pleasant, reminding her of when Viola encouraged her to confess to Amethyst. When the weather outside suddenly shifted to a large thunderstorm, she decided to take it as nature reacting to this emotional breakthrough.  
  
"S-so, um, where will you have to sleep since I'm in your bed?"   
  
Shyly looking away, but smiling, Viola admitted, "W-well, I was on the couch, but if you don't mind, we could perhaps sleep next to each other..."  
  
Sure, Spinel hadn't lost any blood since she woke up, but she felt like fainting all of a sudden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying this right now! While I debate which episode to cover next in my Steven Universe-era Periminition AU (dang, Periminition would've been a cool title, eh whatevs), I figure I can give this story my full attention!
> 
> (btw, I did some light googling to see if it was at all inaccurate for someone to endure such a car crash and not suffer any broken bones, and did find that there have been people who have crashed right through a windshield and survived without any serious injuries... and that's when landing on actual concrete, not soft grass, like in Spinel's case. So, I guess I'm not far off in the medical accuracy.)


	4. Drifting in Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Viola and Spinel have to wonder if they've managed to find exactly where they were meant to be.

It was clear that Spinel shouldn't have been out of bed so soon. Everyone knew this to some extent, though Pearl felt the most aware. Although at the moment she did encourage the romantic advancement between her and Viola, she did feel that perhaps it wasn't good for her to be trying to support her own weight so quickly. It moved to the back of her mind, however, and didn't come to the forefront until Spinel abruptly began to wail hysterically in pain as she tried to move herself out from the table and bumped an ankle into one of the table legs. Something that small was all it took to take her mind off of the frightful weather and the delightful girl in front of her and bring it back to the horrible injury that she's sustained and the other two available were quick to assist her back into bed. 

"I-I feel terrible..." she groaned, pulling the blankets so that she was almost completely covered but still allow herself to look up at the one-eyed girl currently comforting her.

Smiling gently, Viola replied, "It's okay, anyone would feel like that after that accident. Just relax and don't strain yourself anymore!"

"All the relaxation in the world couldn't get rid of my problems..."

This took away her smile, and she asked with concern, "Do you want to talk?"

"Mmph... I-I'm not good at discussions..."

This gave Viola a moment of thought. Did she not notice before the problems that Spinel had been clearly going through internally, or had she simply hidden them well enough that not even Pearl's keen senses could spot them? Either way, she still felt guilty that she hadn't been able to comfort her before. Maybe too much of her time had been spent fawning over her incredible fashion sense or how much she wanted to give her a second kiss, and not enough of it had been spent considering everything that she could do to best accommodate her guest both physically and mentally. There were clearly a lot of things about Spinel she didn't know- really, that list was miles longer than the list of things she could even guess about her- but she knew she had to be there for her as long as possible. 

Sitting down on the bed next to Spinel, she told her in a soft, soothing voice while trying not to sound too emotional, "There's no rush to say anything, but just know I'll keep anything you tell me between us."

"Eheheh, p-patient confidentiality, right...? I-I think that's a crime, impersonating a therapist..."

Viola was unable to keep herself from giving a smile from that, and admitted, "I-It's hard for me to tell if that was meant to be something sweet or some kind of insult, but it doesn't endear me any less to you."

"Gyeheheh, you make me feel a bit better just by talking to you, honestly, so if I were to try and insult you, that'd be like... eh, I don't wanna get morbid, I should just stop now..."  
  
The self-appointed caretaker of the injured girl lying in her bed found this both a troubling and an amusing comment, which she supposed was the intention.

It didn't appear that Spinel felt like discussing anything too deep at the moment, but she could be right here until she was. For now, she had to consider if this was where fate had been leading her all along- from being born, to losing her eye in that emotionally conflicting moment, to meeting Pearl, to moving in with her in this pleasant town, to going to Amethyst's house for that party, to right now. She had to admit, this definitely seemed like a very... _strange_ series of circumstances. Did any of this deserve to happen to her, both the good and the bad?  
  
Right now, Spinel was completely unable to speak- not because of her physical weaknesses, but because of her own reluctance- but she was certainly feeling quite similar regardless. The wind had definitely blown her in quite a direction, one that she had previously thought was blocked by too many natural and man-made structures for her to properly navigate. It wasn't even like she ever anticipated meeting someone who would give her such feelings... well, someone _else._ Lightning doesn't usually strike the same place twice, and when the first lightning strike causes a fire that pretty much burns down the entire house, nobody's going to be praying for another thunderstorm.

Metaphors aside, love definitely was not Spinel's strong suit, but neither were conversations... or car accidents, but that's kind of in a different league. She'd have a lot of things to straighten out (in only one sense) before she could see herself having a relaxing walk on the beach with this girl, and not just because her legs feel like soggy tissues. For once, though, Spinel felt willing to take a little risk.  
  
And Viola too, but that was obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to play some slight realism on Spinel getting up so fast, even if there was some real-world evidence to back up her not sustaining any injuries too bad. After all, more injuries just mean more recovery and more fluff! And I hope nobody minds the blatant references.


	5. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was something that Spinel would ordinarily avoid, but for once she was going headfirst into it! Not literally, she definitely felt like that would be a bad idea.

When Spinel woke up after apparently falling asleep in her bed, she found that Viola had remained asleep there too. It was quite a surprising thing to see for someone who was feeling quite dazed and half-expected that she'd wake up to find all these events to simply be a dream created by over-consumption of caffeine. It was a surprise in general, really, because she would've expected her caretaker and hypothetical love interest to want to find a place to sleep not occupied by someone with such injuries. Did she enjoy her own bed that much? Or was she simply determined to make sure as best she could that her quote-unquote patient was in good health? Being asleep certainly wouldn't be beneficial to that goal, but of course, sleep was inevitable no matter who you were.  
  
The main issue right now was how to get Viola to wake up. With as much effort as she could muster, she tried to move an arm to nudge her a bit, but that only resulted in her feeling absolutely awful all over again. What was it that motivated her to get out of her bed and sit down at that table, despite the state she was in? Perhaps some would say _love_ , but Spinel would argue she felt stronger about this one-eyed girl than she had before, and that didn't help her out any right now. Could it have been pure stupidity that made her completely evade any question of if it would be a good idea to get out of bed despite her injuries? That was possible, but it wasn't as if she could simply pretend to be stupid again just to overpower her common sense telling her not to overwork her poor brittle bones.  
  
Dang, she was running out of options, and that girl still wasn't awake! Part of her had hoped she'd just wake up naturally, but she was as asleep and as beautiful as ever. Aw walnuts, she can't go thinking about how beautiful she is when she still needs to be thinking of ways to get her awake! That'll never help!  
  
Could it be worth a try to awaken her using her voice? She had heard that even when asleep, one's sense of hearing was fully functional. This gave her some worry, though- she didn't want to potentially annoy her awake just to delve into a conversation about mushy feelings.   
  
Of course, some could argue that such a conversation wouldn't even be necessary thanks to Pearl's intrusion. Boy, she sure ground her gears. What gave her the right to speed their relationship along like that when they barely had time to think about how strong their feelings were? For a good amount of time, she had been blocking that out of her mind and primarily because of how much pain she was in shortly afterward. Really, it seemed as if Viola had done the same thing, judging by how she spoke to her more like a friend than someone who shared romantic feelings with her.   
  
That was fine, really. It wasn't as if Spinel was miffed that she wasn't already eager to move onto girlfriend territory. Even if Pearl had tried to rush things, it was all up to them how their relationship moved, and they needed to have a good conversation about how they felt before they could determine whether they wanted to bring things to a new level. Plus, they had only started knowing each other for a bit before Pearl had observed their feelings for one another- things were at a different place now, so the conversation was bound to be new and interesting. Now, she needed to actually get that conversation started.  
  
"E-Excuse me?"  
  
With those simple words, Viola's eye fluttered open, Spinel had to wonder why she hadn't done this a lot sooner. She woke up so easily just from her voice, it was as if she was ready to awaken to speak to her!   
  
She gave a sweet and gentle yawn before greeting, "H-Hello Spinel, I'm sorry for sleeping past you. Do you wish me to make you breakfast now? You must be famished."  
  
"That's not my main focus right now- I more just want to talk about us," she admitted, hoping that it made sense to her.  
  
This evoked a blush for Viola, who responded, "Oh, heheh, I understand. Um, I'm not good with words, do you mind starting~?"  
  
Just like that? It barely took any work to get to where she wanted to be? It felt like this was some sort of trick, like the moment she started getting into the conversation Pearl would come in and announce Viola would be moving away for just long enough that Spinel would be fully healed and she'd have to get out immediately. Those were the strange ideas that usually went through her head, and she was not proud of them. It wasn't like she wasn't experienced in disappointment, though.  
  
"Well, first things first... could we start fresh, and pretend that thing with Pearl didn't happen? I want things to go naturally with us."  
  
Giving a casual chuckle, the other girl joked, "That's how I tend to do things. She has a tendency to try and be the mom, and that's helpful when it comes to getting things tidy, but in other places... yeah, she's a lot."  
  
"Phew, I thought I was the only one thinking that, honestly. So... I really, really like you."  
  
More redness spread across Viola's face, resembling strawberry jam evenly spread across a piece of bread, and she soon replied with a smile, "I-I see. I feel the same way. And it's weird because we don't know each other all that well..."

"Yeah, that is true. Of course, we're here, we're talking, so why not get to know each other now? ...I feel like by now Pearl would've been interrupting, so I'm growing nervous."  
  
Amused a little, Viola assured her, "She won't be interrupting. Pearl is out right now for her job working the register at some local restaurant. I have no idea how she puts up with it, honestly, but she manages to make some good money there. I guess it helps we were one of the first places to raise the minimum wage, but that's not really a focal point."  
  
"Well, for that I am grateful. So, uh... anythin' you wanna know about me?"  
  
After a moment of consideration, she questioned Spinel, "Why weren't you wearing a seatbelt? I imagine you wouldn't have crashed through the windshield so easily if you had something to protect you like that."  
  
"Oh, well, funny you should mention that... Iiii don't wear seatbelts...?"  
  
Who would've guessed that what started out as a cute refresh on their relationship would move toward a safety lesson? It wasn't as if Spinel was ignorant of the consequences her actions had, although she definitely did not deny that it was enjoyable to hear Viola get so excitable over something like this. They had so much time to talk about whatever they wanted, she did not mind spending some time on this somewhat trivial thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the next chapter! Hopefully, you guys could handle the wait, the break was partially caused by me wanting to update the other chapter first for fairness and also for me needing time to think of what would happen next.


	6. The Games We Played

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple discussion of Spinel's life leads to an emotional confession on a previous failed relationship.

When the conversation on the subject of seatbelt safety ended, which thankfully was sooner than later, there was a growing interest in the mind of Viola to learn more about Spinel personally- not just the person who goofed around at the party and then promptly crashed her car into a sturdy fence, but the person she's been for the past two-and-a-half decades.  
  
"Eheheh, what's there really to say about me? I like cartoons, I wear too much pink, I'm way too emotional... sheesh, I'm boring myself already."  
  
Giving a light giggle, Viola assured her sympathetically, "You don't have to have an exciting and movie-like life for me to find it interesting, because I already find you interesting now. I don't want to push you, but you don't need to be afraid about me judging you for anything."  
  
"Well, if you say so. First things first, my last town was basically a complete dumpster fire compared to this place! It's this town called Homestead, and they try to paint themselves as something snazzy and darling or whatever, but you might as well be walking into a prison. I grew up there my whole life, and I really feel grateful for television for showing me what _good_ towns were supposed to look like so I would have the sense to hate it! It doesn't help that my parents tried to turn me into some kinda star athlete as if _this_ is the body of someone who can throw a football! But the moment I gave the slightest suggestion that maybe I preferred less physical professions and more along the lines of a stand-up comedian, I get yelled at all the way through dinner! Going to school was the only break from having to listen to them getting on my case, but that was just because it was so mind-numbingly boring that I could barely think about anything!"  
  
She felt out of breath by the time she finished her rant but was surprised to find that the other girl was not any less interested than when she started speaking. In fact, it seemed she was rather enthralled while listening to her story. 

_Geez, was my spiel really that interesting? Maybe my fear of therapy was a bit unfounded...  
  
_ Breaking the silence, Viola told her with a look of empathy, "I feel very happy for you that you were able to leave that place, it sounds like a very toxic environment to grow."  
  
"Yeah, that's accurate. Not to mention, uh... well... hey, I've spoken long enough, maybe I should give you a chance?"  
  
Now curious, her comrade asked, "Do you have something else to say?"  
  
"Oh, it's nothing that interesting, it's just... I was in a relationship for a few years that was pretty much the only thing that got me up in the morning, and... look, you don't need to hear my sob story-"  
  
Cutting her off, Viola assured her with a smile, "I want to hear whatever you have to say. If we want to grow our relationship past an ordinary shared crush, we have to know each other beyond the surface. I think learning about your past relationship will help to potentially make me a better partner with you, if we ever make it official."  
  
A blush spread across Spinel's cheeks from the discussion of their relationship, as she had barely put her mind to that pretty obvious subject. Of course, she knew she was very much correct in what she was saying. To bring themselves closer together, learning more about each other would be an excellent idea. Plus, this girl was helping her get back to full health in her own bed- what did she have to hide from her?  
  
So, with a deep sigh, she began to explain the details of her relationship.  
  
"Her name was Rosetta. I won't tell you her _last_ name, because even though I really don't care much for her now, I still wouldn't like you or anyone you know to search for her online and start some kind of fight. Rosetta and I met in high school, so that'd be twelve years ago. When we first met, she was so distant, and I thought she was so pretty that I all I wanted to do was make her smile. So, that's what I would do, day after day. Every time I saw her looking sad about something, I would crack a joke or make a face, and she'd burst out laughing, and I'd feel proud of myself. She made me feel proud of myself at a time where I felt like I couldn't really get much done, whether it was at school or at home."  
  
Tears began to form in her eyes as she grew closer to the part of this story that always made her feel like a mess, but she tried to swallow down her hurt feelings to give the rest of this story to her new friend.  
  
"Throughout the rest of high school, I always got the impression that we were growing closer. I was never in a relationship with anyone like I had been with her, and everything I've seen on TV made me think that the next natural step to this was some kind of romance. But the thing is... I don't think Rosetta ever saw me as anything more than a pick-me-up to lift her spirits when she felt down. But if she really only saw me as entertainment, I wish she could've just told me instead of humoring me whenever I would gush about how much I love being _friends_ with her, and how nice it might be to be more. She let me hold her _hand,_ for crying out loud, what was I supposed to think about that?!"  
  
It was at this point that tears began to stream down her cheeks, and she was gripping the blankets underneath her tightly to get out some of her pent-up frustration. It hurt, due to her existing injuries, but she felt like it was almost alright to hurt right now.   
  
"S-She fooled me the whole way through high school into thinking I had a chance with her, all the way up until the end. At the end of the year, there was this big extravagant dance meant to celebrate completing all four years, and I told her with the biggest smile I could that I wanted to take her there. When she told me yes, it felt like I was in heaven, and I spent the next week preparing myself as best I could for something romantic and sweet... and when I got to the dance, I found out she had moved away over the weekend, leaving me to spend the night alone with my dumb bouquet of flowers and my stupid box of chocolates..."  
  
For the next half a minute, she wouldn't say anything more and would just allow the information to soak in. All the while, Viola rubbed her back soothingly for comfort as she let out the rest of her tears.  
  
Once she felt she was ready, Viola asked, "What can you tell me about what happened after?"  
  
"Well, I ended up getting accepted to this cheap college, and at that point, my only motivation for doing anything was just to spite her and show her I was more than just some court jester. If I'm gonna be goofy, I'm gonna be goofy because I wanna be! ...college sucked, by the way, but that's not really relevant."  
  
Gently smiling, her friend told her, "I appreciate that you trusted me enough to tell me all of that. Something really stood out to me, though- you said her name was Rosetta, right?"  
  
Spinel quickly nodded, wondering where this was going.  
  
"Well... my last girlfriend was named Rosetta too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point forward, everything I'm writing is actually going to be stuff I planned out- at least, general plot points, leading to a nice ending. I don't tend to do more than two stories at a time, and I've grown interested in writing a story on the subject of Peridot being asexual, so that's why I felt it important to actually plan things out.
> 
> Anyway, tell me if you're excited for where the story is going, and what you wanna see before it ends!


	7. The Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel learns more about Rosetta from Viola, both the good and the bad.

"So... we had the _same_ friend??"  
  
Chuckling softly, Viola would sheepishly admit, "I-I think Rosetta had said we were... um, girlfriends..."  
  
"Oh, were you now?" Spinel remarked, pretending to be jealous.  
  
Taking a deep breath, the one-eyed cute girl decided it was best to go into more depth about their relationship.  
  
"Rosetta's family seemed like they were very controlling on every aspect of her life. What she ate, what she wore, and even what friends she made. From what she had told me, _they_ had rushed her to get to college, not thinking that a school dance was important enough to be a priority. And... from what I heard, they also didn't seem to think highly of you. Don't get me wrong, they were happy for her to make friends, but it seemed like they thought you were holding her back from maturing, and that she needed to let go of you to become emotionally stronger."  
  
Thinking about this, the ponytailed girl commented, "I guess it was more nurture than nature, then. Heh, who was I kidding? No way someone can just be born mean... oh, um, can you tell me more about what it was like with her?"  
  
"Mmhmm. She and I were roommates, and it wasn't very long before things moved toward something else. It always seemed like she had been eager to prove to her family that she was ready for a real relationship, and that might've been part of why she started it with me, but that doesn't mean she didn't feel strongly for me. It really felt like it, at least."  
  
Sighing, Spinel replied, "I always thought the same way when it came to whether she liked me back. Dang, why does she have such a problem with being clear about how she feels?"  
  
"I suppose she might've been afraid to open up, I'm not sure. In fact... she had always had her fair share of emotional issues..."  
  
She grew quiet, beginning to fidget nervously, and Spinel knew she must've had more to say that she was just afraid to voice out in the open.  
  
Placing a hand on Viola's, she told her, "I'm not gonna make you do anything, but I think you might feel better if you tell me the full story, don't you think?"  
  
"Y-yes, I know. I just sometimes want to pretend it never happened, but no matter how hard I try, I can't erase the past. Okay, well... Rosetta never seemed to know of a healthy way to vent her emotions. She tried to keep a journal, but I eventually found it ripped up on her side of the room, so I can imagine she grew to detest the activity. Oftentimes I've heard her screaming into her pillow and wearing herself out to try and fall asleep, and even though I really loved her back then, I could never work up the bravery to ask her what was wrong. In fact, I began to fear her in a way, and it made me feel ashamed of myself. One day I convinced myself I had nothing to be afraid of and that I should just try to talk to her, so... I tried."  
  
She stopped to take in a deep breath, wiping a few tears away from her eye. It seemed like she had talked about this before and felt it hard to say the same words again.  
  
Finally, she was able to get to the end of the story: "She grew upset at me for wanting to discuss what was making me so upset, getting louder the more I pressed. A-And maybe I shouldn't have pushed it, or she wouldn't have lashed out, but either way, it happened: she grabbed my arm and threw me across the room, and though I didn't break any bones, I smashed my face against her television and shattered it. So, I'm sure you can understand how that changed me."  
  
She glided her hand down that side of her face, bringing to attention the various faded scars and that eyepatch covering where her eye seemed to have been injured beyond repair. Spinel gave her a sympathetic look, feeling bad for every time she thought about her missing eye in a dismissive manner, even if she knew Viola did not harbour anything against her for it.  
  
"I was in the hospital for a week, and ultimately, they were unable to do anything to recover my eye, only able to stop further bleeding and patch it up. My family denied me permission to go back to that college out of fear, and I would spend my time learning from home. I feel very lucky to have eventually met Pearl, who seemed to have shared experiences with Rosetta up until she... passed away," she softly explained.  
  
In shock, Spinel repeated in a more blunt manner, "S-She died?!"  
  
"Y-Yes, apologies for not making that clear. In the years following our separation, Pearl informed me that she seemed to have changed a bit more. She seemingly realized the number of people she's hurt in her past and felt like she needed to do something good for the world. Then, she met a musician in a town by the ocean, and... despite her apparent medical condition, she decided to have a child after many years with him, dying during childbirth."  
  
Blinking a few times, she muttered in response, "W-wow, I would've never have expected that... I can't say I forgive her, but it definitely makes it seem a little different."  
  
"O-Of course. I do not mean to make you feel like you must feel any forgiveness, she has done things to hurt us. I hope maybe together, we can stop hurting."  
  
This provoked a morbid laugh from Spinel, who confidently told Viola, "We can try, but we're never really going to stop hurting. I think what we have to do is learn to adjust to it, and be open about it. At least, that's what I learned from Rosetta's uh, tale."  
  
"Yes... that sounds right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to try and accurately portray Rosetta as being a bit more than just good or bad as the show did, which I know is hard when you have two characters with some mixed experiences with her. I can definitely see how Rebecca Sugar probably had her fair share of trouble trying to get the message across!


	8. Road from Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel finds her physical condition growing better, coinciding with her emotional growth. But does that need to be the end of her time with Viola?

As the days went on, Spinel found herself feeling more and more capable to move on her own, no longer simply restricted to lying in her bed and being lifted out in quite a blush-worthy manner. She could definitely feel the aches in her bones fade away at a steady pace, and she found herself quite amused by Pearl and Viola's disbelief and amazement at her recovery. Really, it wasn't that big of a surprise to her- from what she remembers, injuries have never lasted very long for her. Sure, this was a bit more serious than a bump on the head, but her recovery time seemed consistent with what she's experienced before.  
  
What was more surprising to her was how she was growing to be far more comfortable with opening up ever since she and Viola shared their experiences. It was like a weight was lifted off of her, making it easier to move around in more than one sense. Was there any connection between her emotional and physical strength? She had no idea, but it did seem like a pretty interesting coincidence, at least. The better she got at walking from one side of the room to the other, the better she also felt like she got at being emotionally vulnerable without shying away or trying to act like there's nothing she has to say worth saying. She wanted to say she felt like her old self again, but that wouldn't be true- she felt like she had grown a lot since then because of the hardships she had to go through. Sure, she was feeling it far easier to goof around and joke, but that wasn't all there was with her anymore.   
  
One day, she got to the breakfast table to eat with Pearl and Viola without any assistance, even sitting down without any real effort. She seemed rather ignorant of the glances that Viola and Pearl shared until she made an attempt at a joke and was met with a lack of laughter.  
  
"Eheheh, what, is something wrong?"  
  
Being signaled by Pearl, Viola would admit, "Well, Pearl and I have noticed you're getting a lot better physically, and sooner or later, we'll need to talk about your living situation."  
  
"...oh my gosh, I completely forgot! I'm so stupid, I started seeing this as just a fun vacation and not just the amateur medical visit that it was!"  
  
Chuckling, Pearl would assure her, "It's alright, I will admit I've grown quite comfortable with you around, despite my initial skepticism. You're not being rushed to leave, of course, but we'll definitely need to figure out the _when_ and _how_ of it."   
  
"Heh, honestly, I know we don't live that far away, but I feel like it'll be weird to not see you all the time, Viola," Spinel admitted, smiling at her.  
  
Viola gave a nod in response, giggling adorably as she remarked, "Yeah, even though we haven't made ourselves official, it feels like we've been dating already."  
  
"O-oh, r-really...?" Spinel asked, face growing a shade redder, causing laughter from the table (and she joined in half a second later).  
  
After another bite of her bacon, the third wheel at the table would inform them, "It isn't like there isn't a solution to this, you know."  
  
"What do you mean by that, Pearl?" Viola asked with a tilt of her head.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Pearl would ask, "Did you forget that I've been getting constant invitations from a certain purple-haired rock-star to live with her and take over as her bass guitarist?"  
  
"Ooh, I forgot about Amethyst for a second!"  
  
Confused, Spinel asked, "Is Amethyst a rock-star?"

"Not in the sense that she's famous, but she has the spirit of someone who already has three platinum albums. She's always urging me to join her because she thinks I'll be the key to fame, although she likes to pretend she also isn't totally in love with me."  
  
Smirking a bit, the pony-tailed girl would remark, "It sounds to me that this arrangement could create two new couples in one fell swoop."  
  
"Are you saying you're ready to be an official couple?" Viola asked with a smile.  
  
This evoked a flustered response from Spinel, but the answer was pretty clear, and Pearl was already readying her cellphone to make some calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the natural end to this, which I hope nobody's too surprised about, given that this was never gonna be the longest story. Still, hopefully I can bring it to a satisfying conclusion~


	9. Movement of Moving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel begins to bring her stuff into her new home while thinking about the meaning of this change.

As Spinel's arms began to ache from carrying in her third box, she began to think about how this was her second time within a month that she's moved into a new place. She could've never predicted two weeks ago that this is what was going to unfold for her- moving into the house of her mutual crush. Of course, maybe it was silly to still use that term when at this point they already felt somewhat ready to call themselves _girlfriends._ Maybe it was just a force of habit because she wasn't sure if she was entirely prepared for this new step of her life, but sooner or later she was going to need to say it out loud: _Viola is my girlfriend._ Her cheeks were getting quickly reddened, and she decided she needed to focus her mind on getting her stuff into her new room.  
  
"Heheh, you know, you look really cute lifting those boxes..."  
  
Her face would turn a dark shade of red as she'd accidentally drop the box, just barely missing her foot. Then she'd feel even more embarrassment as the one-eyed gal would rush over to assist her and profusely apologize for distracting her. Even as the one who was blushing in this scenario, Spinel could not help but giggle a bit in amusement, and her smile would grow when Viola giggled in return.  
  
This was truly a cute moment, she had to admit to herself, but she did wonder if this was what their relationship would really be like. Viola does something to fluster Spinel, Spinel makes her laugh in return, and then the two of them are equally happy. In the long-term, was it possible they might get so used to each other that it would become impossible for one to surprise the other enough to fluster them or to make them laugh? Spinel did hope that she'd be able to continue to make new material to continue to surprise her even as they become accustomed to living with one another.

Now focusing on bringing her stuff to its proper place, she'd begin to take things out of boxes and place them into her new room. Not wanting to repeat her past mistakes, she'd begin to fold her clothes and arrange them properly- shirts going into the giant chest against the wall, pants and shorts going into the drawers, and undergarments and socks going into a large basket in the corner. Oh, and if she didn't have any room for anything or found clothes that she didn't feel any desire to wear in the future, she'd most likely give them away to a Goodwill or something like that.  
  
As she began to put her blankets over her new bed, she sighed and remarked, "It feels so weird knowing this is actually going to be my home. I wonder if this is how Pearl is feeling moving in with Amethyst."  
  
"Hm, not sure- she's been friends with her for quite a bit, and has been over at her house enough that it most almost feel like she was already living there. And yeah, it seems a bit strange to think about, but it's also very exciting," Viola admitted, blushing as she reached to hold hands with her.  
  
While this did make her blush once more, Spinel couldn't help but enjoy holding her hand, as it was quite a comforting feeling. Looking at her girlfriend, or her soon-to-be girlfriend at the very least, she felt some great warmth inside of her. Was this really happening? So many years of her life have been spent longing for a relationship, but now that it was actually happening, it almost felt like it was too good to be true. Like suddenly she might blink and she'd be back in her old home, discovering that she fell asleep and missed out on that party. Or even worse, waking up to find herself back in her old town, still down on herself over the end of her last relationship.   
  
But that was what made relationships so exciting sometimes- the fact that they could often feel too good to be true, but still _were_ true. She soon acknowledged inside that she'd need to have a bit of faith that everything was going to work out.  
  
Wanting to be the flirt this time, she'd soon plant a kiss on Viola's hand, and she'd grin as she was finally the one blushing less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this wasn't too excruciating of a wait, I've been a bit busy, but I can't help but update one story after updating another! 
> 
> Also, as for my previously mentioned idea of an asexual Peridot story...
> 
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ea_a5tOVcAAYG1t?format=jpg&name=900x900
> 
> This art from Rebecca herself gives me some great ideas, like having Peridot be asexual but not aromantic, meaning she'll be feeling quite romantic toward Lapis. Plus, I love Rebecca Sugar's designs!


	10. Satisfactory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel makes sure that this is exactly what they both want.

Hours ago, Spinel and Viola had finished with moving into their home, personalizing it to their own interests. Despite the time that has passed, the pony-tailed girl still laid motionless in her bed, not asleep but barely feeling like lifting herself up due to how much she's had to do in such a short amount of time. Part of her felt like she should've been able to work far longer, but then again, she wasn't exactly one for physical activity. If she recalled, physical education was her worst class in school.

"Oh wow... did we actually do this...?"

Confused, Viola would turn to her and question, "What do you mean?"

"Eheheh, I'm just being goofy. I guess it feels like things moved a bit fast here."

With a sympathetic look, the one-eyed gal would sit next to her and place her hand on Spinel's leg and tell her, "I hope you don't feel as if this was a rash decision, moving in together."

"A-ah, no, I didn't mean in a bad way!" she'd assure her, giving her a hug to try and alleviate any potential hurt feelings.

Viola would let out a chuckle and hug back, lightly teasing, "You don't need to worry so much about saying the wrong thing, I'm not too sensitive."

"Y-yeah, I know. I'm sort of used to saying the wrong thing, I guess. But what I was meaning to say was that it feels hard to believe I went from moving into a new town to having a girlfriend in such a short period of time. Not to say that I don't really like you, or that this doesn't feel right, but well... I'm just hoping this will still feel right a few weeks or months from now, I guess."

Nodding, she'd respond understandingly, "I guess you must be worried about the chance that this is just a temporary excitement you're feeling, and that it might run out."

Spinel gave a nod, glad that Viola was able to so easily dissect her mind like that. It made her smile without thinking, just enjoying that she had found someone who seemed to understand her so well. The fact that she had more than just Viola's cute appearance and gentle voice to cite as her reason for loving her definitely made her feel quite good about herself., since it meant this was far more than a silly crush. 

"Viola... you really do love me, don't you? I know this sounds silly, but... I don't want this to turn out to be something out of pity."

With a light chuckle, she'd assure Spinel, "You don't have to worry about something like that. I'm a terrible actor, I could never pretend to be in love with someone. Hm, do you think there would be a good way for me to convince you?~"

"U-um, well, I'm not entirely sure."

Blushing lightly, Viola would soon think of what she could do to best show how much she loved Spinel. Then, the idea came into her head for the right thing to do, so she placed a hand on her new girlfriend's cheek and slowly leaned over to place a kiss on her lips.

This would swiftly cause the goofy gal to blush deeply, steam practically pouring out of her ears. However, she'd eagerly kiss her back and embrace it.

Sighing, Spinel would admit, "T-that was really nice, so I think I'm convinced."

"Eheheh, wonderful. Don't worry, though, I plan on proving my love every day, as long as you do too~"

It sounded to Spinel like Viola was promising to try and fluster her as much as possible, and in all honesty, it did sound like a bit of a fun idea. Perhaps this way, she'd never get bored having her around, never knowing exactly what she could expect. Not that Spinel was especially concerned about that, though- there were definitely going to be plenty for both of them to learn about each other for quite some time. 

Leaning over to lie her head on her lap, Spinel would softly giggle, "I'm going to really enjoy spending time with you, honestly."

"Eheheh, likewise. I'm not sure if I'll ever have a bad day anymore, with you close to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys aren't too sad by the end of this! I plan to start a new fanfiction soon, that I hope to make last quite a bit using some slowburn-iness and some good details! Who is interested in an ace Peridot story~?

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know how you feel about this so far! I figure I'd lean into the idea of an AU- showing how characters act in unique situations- and go all-in with a completely different setting~


End file.
